The Union home ministry has issued an advisory to all Naxal-affected states and the railways asking them to deploy an adequate number of security personnel in sensitive areas and strengthen security measures to guard the railway tracks against Maoists attacks during the martyrs’ week or “Shahid Saptah” being observed by the
CPI(Maoist) from July 28 to August 3. This is the second advisory issued to the railways within a month. The advisory issued on Tuesday gains significance in the wake of intelligence inputs warning of Maoists plans to avenge the killing of their top leaders like Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad and Shakhamuri Apparao by security forces.
The MHA advisory has asked states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar to step up vigil and beef-up security around important installations such as mobile towers, power plants, railway property and police stations in Maoist stronghold areas during the period. “The Maoists may target public transport to target civilians. We are also not ruling out attacks on security forces camps. States have been asked to beef-up security measures,” an official said.
The home ministry has asked the railways to observe caution.
and increase patrolling along tracks. An advisory issued by the home ministry earlier this month had advised the railways to run pilot engines ahead of trains through Naxal-affected districts and suspend night operations in sensitive areas. The advisory had followed intelligence inputs about the possibilities of Naxal attack on trains to hold passengers hostage as well as derailing trains.